Ideas

Education buzzwords—whole language, multiple intelligences—come and go, but 45 states chose to adopt the Common Core Learning Standards. The questions educators now face are what types of instruction help students develop these skills? And how do librarians insert themselves into these critical discussions?

Check out School Library Journal's reader responses to Rebecca Miller's editorial, "The Cost of Cuts," the review of Dig Those Dinosaurs, and more.

They may be young, but teacher Arturo Avina’s talented kindergarteners are already celebrities in their own right. Students at the Los Angeles Unified School District Olympic Primary Center are the stars of a short-film adaptation of Harry G. Allard Jr.’s beloved children’s classic Miss Nelson Is Missing. Over the course of two months, Avina directed the youngsters, filmed the scenes, and, with the help of the budding actors, edited the movie with technology available in most classrooms.

Amy Cheney rounds up her "underground" picks, perfect for reluctant readers and teens looking for something a little different. From the latest in the Bluford series to a nonfiction title dealing with addiction, this compilation explores a few of the edgier titles being published this season.

The Summer Reading Program is Loudon County Public Library's biggest event of the year, and for the first time, residents of the Gum Spring area will have the chance to experience it at our new library. We're hoping for a record turn-out for our 9-week program, In Your Backyard... and Beyond.

I hadn’t thought about it till today, but our summer reading list is a snooze. A dinosaur. A relic of a time when reading lists looked like, well, reading lists. Today, two things woke me up. 1. Finished with her AP exam, Sierra asked me for a book recommendation.  I excitedly booktalked Libba Bray’s The [...]

Pam Sandlian Smith's ongoing reinvention of library service at the Anythink Libraries in Colorado shows what leadership exercised in a spirit of wonder and playfulness can achieve. John Hunter's World Peace Game takes playing to a new level for learning. We can all learn from both.

In the fifth and final installment of our series celebrating National Poetry Month, Jack Prelutsky, America’s first children’s poet laureate, offers us five of his top poetry collections for kids.

In our next installment celebrating National Poetry Month, acclaimed and versatile author Marilyn Singer highlights five of her top poetry anthologies for kids.